Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellycollaborative research led to increased sexual health services at the GillesPlains Community Campus 26 . The four women became involved in creativelyand effectively promoting the clinic, distributing clinic flyers to Aboriginal andnon-Aboriginal women at schools, bus stops and shopping centres.Community consultations –planning this researchIn 2005, I began this research process by consulting with local Aboriginalcommunity women as those most affected by, and usually with least choiceabout, health service provision. The same four Aboriginal community womenwere the only Aboriginal women connected with the campus at this time, andthey all became involved. When I asked what the focus for this research shouldbe, they spoke of their priority and the need to address the stresses in theirlives, which they related to the daily task of caring for families, dealing withdiscriminating people, police involvement, money concerns and dealing withhealth, education and welfare systems (AWG D1). They said that when theyhad been able to attend a supportive women’s group such as the AboriginalYoung Mum’s Group or the Family Well Being Group they had been able tocope more effectively. In the time since these programs finished nothing elsefilled the gap.These programs had also provided a positive meeting place and social spacefor them. One woman explained;There is no where for us (Aboriginal women) to meet in this NorthEastern part of Adelaide except the pub, pokies or car park. If we go tothe pub, even for a lemon squash, people assume we are getting drunk.The Cafes are too expensive and people look at us funny. We try to avoidthe pokies. Our homes are too small, or we have other people living there.That leaves the car park. It would be nice if we could meet somewhereother than the car park (AWG D1).In addition the women said that they had felt comfortable accessing healthinformation for their family and themselves as part of the group, in ways thatthey didn’t as individuals. Eighteen months after the group discontinued, thewomen still felt the loss acutely. One woman said it feels as if they have cut off26 There was also a formal request from Gilles Plains Community Campus for increased services.167